THE REAL COST OF TAR SANDS

摘要

Extracting Oil From Canadian Tar Sands Is a destructive business: to get at the stuff, mining companies clear-cut forests and create lakes of toxic waste. But tar sands oil doesn't stop fouling the planet when it leaves the ground. Refining the gunk into gasoline takes a toll on human health, as tar sands oil contains a far more harmful array of chemicals, such as sulfur and heavy metals, than other oil sources. A 2010 report by the Sierra Club linked air pollution from tar sands refineries to health problems, including asthma, emphysema, and birth defects.